pratt



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

SYLVESTER MUNSON AND WILLIAM H. PRATT, F TREMONT, ILLINOIS.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specicaton of Letters Patent No. 6,426, dated May 8, 1849.

To all Lo/wm t may concern Be it known that we, SYLvEsTER MUNsoN and VVILIIAM H. PRATT, of Tremont, in the county of Tazewell and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lashing-Machines, of which the following is a full and exact description, reference being had to the annexed drawings of the same making part of this specifica-` tion, in which- Figure l is an isometrical perspective view of the machine, ready for operation, and

Y forated false bottom placed above the true bottom (e) to admit of the subsidence of mud, grit, and other matter from among the clothes, and a box (F) attached to the bottom (e) to receive the sedimentary matter and separate it from the water, this box being placed at the end of the frame (A) and the bottom (e) being inclined toward it, the mud etc. passes into the box through grates made in the bottom.-

On one side of the box (B) a standard (G) is erected, having an arm (g) projecting over the box, through which a mortise is made to guide the upper end of the alternating rod f) (its lower end passing into a hole in the partition a) and also to place the bent spring (t) upon, which counterbalances the weight of the rod (f) and the plungers The lever is passed through a mortise in the rod (f) its end resting in another inortise made in the post (Gr) it being held in this latter mortise by apin passed through a slot in its end which pin forms its fulcrum, this lever is connected to the rod (f) by a-bolt which passes through them both, to the ends of which the stems of the plungers are attached. The rod (f) is connected to the dashers by the jointed brace rods z' so that when raised and lowered it 55 will operate at the same time both the plungers and dashers.

In the partition ct a valve m is placed, which when opened will allow the suds to flow from one end of the wash box to the other which transference is, for various reasons, often desirable.

This machine is adapted to the ashing of bleached and dyed clothes at the same time,

and the operation is as follows-the dyed clothes are put into one end, and the white, into the other, or the washing may be performed at one end, and the rinsing at the other, but whichever of these arrangements is adopted, a suitable quantity of soap and water to form the suds is putinto each box with the clothes, the attendant then lays hold of the lever H and works it up and down in the manner of a pump handle which causes the heads of the dashers to act upon the clothes in the manner of falling stocks, the plungers (E) at each forward stroke of the dashers, forcing the water up from the wells (D) through the grated bottom among the clothes, at the back stroke of the dasher these S0 plungers are raised up and the suds rush down through the grated or perforated bottom into the well, washing down so much of the grit and mud as may be detached from the clothes through the grate to the bottom,

they are withdrawn, by the removal of a plug from the side of the box.

`When the suds in the box with the bleached clothes have become too highly colored for i use in washing that description of garments, it is transferred through the valve (m) to the colored clothes, the dirty suds having first been removed from the latter. Clean .suds are then put to the white clothes and the operation of the dashers resumed. In this manner the suds by heating them once, can be used twice over thereby greatly economizing soap, water, fuel, and labor. The detergent action of the suds is greatly facilitated by their thorough circulation and agitation among the clothes.

Having thus described the construction of our improved washing machine, and the manner in which it operates, what we claim therein as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent7 isl. The combination of the lever H, alternating rod f and jointed rods z' with the dashers and washboXes and c whereby two diierent lots of clothes in two distinct wash boxes, may be cleansed at the same time by the a\ction of two separate dashers operated by one lever.

2. le claim the combination of the wells and plungers with the wash boxes, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this day of October, A. D. 15 1848;

SYLVESTER MUNSON. VILLIAM H. PRATT.

Witnesses:

H. L. RUGKER, JOSHUA BCHER. 

